zulu.2527.hugh
Uzigqaja ngokuba ngum-Africa
BONA ZULU October 2008
IZIHLABANI ZAKITHI
Ingqalabutho yomculo we-jazz uHugh Masekela uxoxisane nathi ngodumo, umculo nokubambelela ezimpandeni zempilo yakhe... indaba nguDiane Coetzer, izithombe nguVanessa Grobler
Lo mculi ufuna ukwenza ifilimu ngokukhula kwakhe eWitbank - nokuyoba yifilimu elimayelana nenjabulo - ngokusho kwakhe.
UNGUMDLALI we-trumpet ongumbhali wezingoma osezakhele elikhulu igama emhlabeni jikelele kanti uhlale enamakhonsathi emhlabeni wonkana njengakoLondon, New York, Paris nanoma kuphi. Phezu kwakho konke lokho, impilo yale nsizwa ibambelele ezimpandeni zokukhula kwayo endaweni yaseWitbank njengoba kumanje Iphezu kwezinhlelo zokuqopha okwakwenzeka kuleyo minyaka.
"Ngifuna le filimu ikhombise ukuthi iWitbank yayinjani ngalezo zinsuku. Kuningi okukule ndawo okuchaza ubumina, ngisho nanamuhla," kusho uMasekela.
Le filimu kumanje isezinhlelweni zokuba yenziwe. UHugh wazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi ufunani. "Ambalwa kabi amafilimu akhombisa injabulo nge-Africa nokuyinto engizimisele ukuba yenzeke efilimini yami.
UMasekela nodadewabo uBarbara (oyi-ambassador yakuleli eMelika) bakhuliswa wugogo wabo wasohlangothini lukamama endaweni yaseWitbank. Kwaba wukukhula okwakuhlanganise inhlonipho ababeyifundiswa wugogo wabo kanye nempilo ekhululekile yelokishi.
Waqala ukuzwana nomculo ewuzwa udlala emashibhini nasemizini yabantu kulelo lokishi. Njengamanje, emva kweminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 aqala ukudlala ebhendini iHuddleston Jazz Band, usedume ngokuthi ngu"Bra Hugh," kanti usezakhele elikhulu igama emculweni we-jazz emhlabeni wonke.
UHugh uphinde abe ngusomabhizinisi wenkampani ezinze eGoli iChissa Entertainment, eqopha amarekhodi omculo, aphinde aphathele abanye babaculi izindaba zabo, asingathe nemicimbi ashicilele nomculo.
Kodwa enhliziyweni yakhe usabuswa wuthando lomculo kanti kumanje uqopha i-albhamu yakhe entsha estudiyo.
PHEZU kwakho konke lokhu kuba matasa, kodwa uMasekela ubukeka ezikhululekele futhi ephila engumqemane. Konke lokhu uthi kungenxa yokuziphilisa ngendlela yeTai Chi nokuyinqubo yempilo ayilandela njalo. "Ingenza ngingabi nokugqilazeka kwemizwa," kusho yena.
"Sengakhohlwa ukuthi kuyinto enjani ukudinwa. Kuye kuthi lapho kukhona umuntu okhombisa intukuthelo, ngingazi ukuthi ngizomsiza kanjani ukuze aphatheke ngendlela eyehlukile.
"I-Tai Chi ikuqinisa ezingxenyeni zomzimba yenze okwenzeka emzimbeni kwenzeke ngokulingana."
Le ndlela yakhe yokulawula impilo yakhe yehluke kakhulu eminyakeni ayichitha ezibandakanye ezidakamizweni nasotshwaleni - nokuyinto ayichaza kabanzi encwadini ekhuluma ngempilo yakhe ethi Still Grazing (Crown Publishers; 2004).
Wangena wagxila ekusebenziseni izikhuthazi mzimba ngeminyaka yakhe esekudingisweni kodwa waqala ukuzelapha ngoDecember 1997. Njengamanje usesiza abaculi abazithola sebesesimweni esifuze lesi.
Okunye okubalulekile empilweni yakhe, wumculo.
"Kusukela ekuqaleni, umculo nami sasilokhu siyinto eyodwa," kusho yena.
"Kodwa kwathi lapho ngifika eMelika, bonke abantu bathi - 'kungani ufuna ukudlala i-jazz ekubeni sibaningi esiyidlalayo?'
"Kwadingeka ukuba ngizame ngigxile kokwakithi phezu kothando lwe-jazz enganginalo.
"Ngenhlanhla umama kaMiriam Makeba kwakuyisangoma futhi engumculi oshaya ingcwenga yomculo, ecula izingoma zakulo lonke elaseningizimu ye-Africa. Bangifundisa izingoma ezangenza ngavelela njengomculi eMelika."
NGOKUKHUTHAZWA nguHarry Belafonte ukuba angabuyeli e-South Africa emva kokuba uNelson Mandela esegwetshwe ukudilikelwa yijele, uHugh wahlala eMelika wazakhela igama njengomculi owayedlala izingoma ezifana nethi Grazing In The Grass.
Wabuyela ekhaya emva kokukhululwa kukaNelson Mandela.
Njengamanje wenza ucwaningo lomlando womndeni wakhe kubandakanya nokuxhumana kwakhe nabangamaScottish ohlangothini lukamkhulu wakhe.
"Nginomdlandla ngokwenzeka ezikhathini zakudala kangangoba kumanje sengifunda kabusha izilimi ezifana nesiVenda, isiShangane nesiNdebele.
"Ngesikhathi ngikhula eWitbank, ulimi esasilukhuluma ekhaya yisiNdebele. Sasikhuluma nesiBhunu kakhulu. Senginomdlandla wokuba ngiqale ngibhale ngalezo zilimi," kusho uMasekela.
Uhlela futhi ukubhala inovela lapho ezoqhakambisa imvelaphi yethu. "Ukwesaba kwami okukhulu wukuthi umzukulu wami oyintombazane kuyothi lapho ebuzwa ngomlando wakhe athi, 'Sasingama-Africa.'
"Ngithanda ukwenza izinto ezizoncintisana nolwazi aluthola kwiMTV. Uma ungazi lapho uphuma khona, pho uyakuphi?
"Umlando wethu ubalulekile mkhulu, kodwa lokho sesikukhohliwe ngenxa yemfundisoze yabamhlophe yokuthi esikhathini esedlule impilo yethu yayingabalulekile."[z]
Uma uHugh eshaya i-trumpet, umhlaba wonke uyalalela.
BONA ZULU October 2008
